Sanitary attachment for toilet seats



Dec. 24, 1929. o. R. KUEHNE 1,740,544

SANITARY ATTACHMENT FOR TOILET SEATS Filed Aug 7, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N V EN T0 R. 0770 19/6/44 lab/1M5 v BY j g a ZTORNEYS.

Dec. 24, 1929. o. R. KUEHNE I SANITARY ATTACHMENT FOR TOILET SEATS '2 Sheets-Sheet [WM/E8556 INVENTOR.

0770 F/CH/i/S'OAflE/IME 7 BY j ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec, 24, 1929 UNETED STATES PATENT @FFICE OTTO RICHARD KUEHNE, OF REDLANDS, CALIFORNIA Application filed August 7, 1928.

This invention relates to improvements in sanitary covers for toilet seats and has as one of its objects to provide a device of this class embodying an assemblage of superimposed sheets and means supporting the same and holding the same assembled in such a manner that successive ones of the sheets may be removed, after use, thus insuring sanitary con ditions and preventing the spread of diseases,

the invention contemplating the provision of means whereby an unused and sanitary surface may be afforded the users of the toilet.

Another object of the invention is to provide an attachment for the purpose stated so constructed that the protective pads, each comprising a plurality of superimposed sheets, may be renewed and the supply of the protective sheets thus replenished as occasion may require.

Another object of the invention is to so form the sheets of the pad that, in removing a sheet which has been used, so as to expose the next sheet below it, this may be accomplished without the hand coming in contact with any portion of the used sheet which has been in contact with the one who has used the same.

While the accompanying drawings and the description which is to follow, constitute a disclosure of the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that various changes may be made within the scope of what is claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a plan View of the sanitary seat attachment embodying the invention, installed;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the attachment installed;

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, the attachment being illustrated as installed-in this figure; I

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the toilet seat equipped with a backing for the sheets of the attachment; u I

Figure 5 is a plan view of one of the sania y he t Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view Serial No. 298,022.

of a portion of the backing shown in Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a plan view, in detail, illustrating a clamping member which is employed to hold the pad of sheets to the backing member;

Figure 8 is a detail vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 8-8 of F igure 7;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through several of the protective sheets assembled and illustrating, in broken lines, the manner in which the uppermost sheet is removed Figure 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of the rear end of one of the sheets;

Figure 11 is a View similar to Figure 1 illustrating a type of sheet difierent from that shown in Figure 1.

In the drawings the seat to which the attachment is to be applied is indicated in general by the numeral 1 and is of the usual elliptical open contour and provided at its rear end with the usual extension 2.

The attachment embodying the invention comprises a backing member which is indicated by the numeral 3 and which is preferably of cardboard and this member is of substantially the same contour as the seat 1 and constitutes a support for the assemblage of protective sheets in a manner which will presently be described. This backing member 3 is secured to the upper side of the seat 1 by nails or similar fastening elements 3 and is formed with an elliptical opening 4 to conform substantially to and substantially register with the usual seat opening. For a purpose to be pointed out, in connection with the description of the protective sheets, a pair of pockets 5 is provided upon an extension 6 {5 of the backing member 3 which corresponds to the extension 2 at the rear of the seat 1, and these pockets are preferably arranged one at each rear corner of the extension 6 and secured in place by small rivets or other suitable fastening elements, the pockets being of some light metal such for example as aluminum and preferably of one piece construction and so arranged that their open sides will be presented inwardly at an angle toward the lit extension 6 upon which the pockets are mounted.

The sanitary or protective sheets heretofore referred to are of the construction best shown in Figures 1 and of the drawings and each of these sheets, which is indicated in general by the numeral 7, is of paper of a suitable quality to serve the purposes for which it is intended, and if desired, each sheet may be impregnated with any suitable antiseptic or other preparation for promoting sanitation. The sheets 7 are of the same marginal contour as the backing sheet 8 and each sheet is provided with an opening 8, the openings of the several sheets registering with one another and with the opening 1- in the backing sheet 3 when a stack of sheets 7 is arranged upon the backing sheet 3. Each sheet 7 is further providedat its rear end with an extension 9 corresponding to the extension 6 of the backing sheet 3, and it will be observed by reference to Figures 2, 9 and 10 of the drawings that the extensions 9 of the sheets 7 are of greater length than the extension 6 of the backing sheet, 3 and the surplus length is folded under to provide a finger tab 10, as clearly shown in Figures 9 and 10, which may be conveniently employed in removing the respective sheet 7 from the stack or pile of sheets as will presently be explained. The extension 9 of each sheet 7 is further formed with a U-shaped incision so as to provide a finger piece 11 which is bent or deflected rearwardly so that it will, in the instance of the uppermost sheet of the stack of sheets, assume an upstanding position as shown in Figures 2, 9 and 10 of the drawings.

By reference to Figures 2 and 9 of the drawings it will be observed that in assembling the sheets 7 in a stack, they are arranged in superposed relation and with the portions 10 folded under the extensions 9 of which they constitute a part, the finger piece 11 of each extension 9 being folded back at its line of juncture with the extensions 9 and to position lying between the extension 9 and fiap 10 of the sheet 7 immediately above it, this being most clearly shown in Figure 9 and the purpose of thus arranging the extensions of the sheets will presently be described.

By reference to Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings it will be observed that the rear corners of the extension 9 of the sheet 7 and likewise the rear corners of the extension 6 of the backing sheet 3, are fitted within the pockets 5 at the time the assemblage is dis posed and secured in place upon the seat 1, and therefore these portions of the sheet 7 will be held in overlapping relation and against upward displacement, the finger pieces 11 of the extensions 9 bein however clear of the pockets 5.

In order that the stack of sheets 7 may be held assembled and prevented from relative displacement when they are arranged upon the backing sheet 3, means is provided upon the backing sheet for coaction with the sheets 7 as will now be described. The backing sheet 3 is formed at its outer edges between its forward and rear ends with outstanding ears 12 and likewise its extension 6 is formed at its opposite side edges with similar earsindicated by the numeral 13. A post 1 1 of metal is associated with each of the ears 12 and 13 and each post is provided with a threaded reduced lower end portion 15 which is fitted downwardly through an opening 16 formed in the respective car, a nut 17 being threaded onto this portion of each post and adjusted to bear against the under side of the ear to maintain the post in upright position. The post has pivoted to its upper end as at 18, the upper end of a presser finger 19 which may be of wire and which is in this manner mounted for vertical swinging movement I 7 or upon the marginal portion of the exten- V sion of said sheet, depending upon which of the ears 12 and 13 the corresponding finger 19 is mounted. A small tension spring 21 is connected at one end to each finger 19 and at its other end to the respective post 14 and,

through the resiliency of this spring, the finger 19 is held yieldably in a lowered position so that its headed end will bear more or less firmly upon the upper side of the uppermost one of the sheets 7. It will be observed by reference to Figure 1 of the drawings that all of the posts are located close to the opposite sides of the stack of sheets 7 and that the fingers 19 are preferably curved to extend forwardly from the respective posts so that their heads 20 will bear against the upper most sheet 7 close to the margin thereof.

Referring now to Figure 9 of the drawings it will be observed that when it is desired to remove the uppermost sheet 7 of the pile or stack, this may be accomplished by grasping the finger piece 11 and elevating the extension 9 of the sheet 7 to substantially the position shown in Figure 9. As the finger piece 11 of the next lowersheet 7 is in engagement with the flap 10 of the extension 9 of the uppermost sheet 7, the said finger piece 11 of the next lower sheet will be elevated as shown in full lines in the said Figure 9. Acontinued upward pull upon the finger piece 11 will .of course disengage the flap 10 of the uppermost sheet from the finger piece 11 of the next lower sheet and at this time the said flap 10 may be grasped and the said uppermost sheet then pulled forwardly and laterally so as to effect separation of the sheet from the t ck, the fingers 19 yielding against the tension of the respective springs 21, sufficiently to permit the removal of the uppermost sheet-withoutdisturbing the others. It will therefore be evident that, due to the provision of the finger piece 11 and flap l and the assemblage of these parts in the relation shown in Figure 9, the uppermost sheet may be removed by i grasping the flap which, due to its undert'olded position in the stack, has been protected from contamination.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 11 of the drawing is substantially identical with that illustrated in the other ligures and above described except that in this embodiment the sheets 7 are continuous about the opening 8 formed therein whereas, in the first described embodiment, the sheets are divided or cut away at the front. As the parts illustrated in Figure 11 correspond to those in Figure 1 and the other figures illustrating the first described embodiment of the invention, corresponding reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts in Figure 11 with the addition of the suflix a.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. In an attachment of the class described,

1 for toilet seats, a backing sheet for disposal upon and attachment to the seat, an assemblage of superposed protective sheets disposed in mutual registration with one another upon the backing sheet, uprights upon the backing sheet marginally engaging the protective sheets and maintaining the same in registration and against relative displacement, and resilient retaining means upon said uprights bearing yieldably upon the uppermost sheet of the assemblage of protective sheets.

2. In an attachment of the class described, for toilet seats, a backing sheet for disposal upon and attachment to the seat, an assemblage of superposed protective sheets disposed in mutual registration with one another upon the backing sheet, uprights upon the backing sheet marginally engaging the protective sheets and maintaining the same in registration and against relative displacement, pressure fingers pivot-ally mounted upon the uprights and having their ends engaging the uppermost sheet of the assemblage of protective sheets, and means yieldably holding said fingers in such engagement with the said sheets.

3. In an attachment of the class described, for toilet seats, a backing sheet for disposal upon and attachment to the seat, an assemblage of superposed protective sheets disposed in mutual registration with one another upon the backing sheet, uprights upon the backing sheet marginally engaging the protective sheets and maintaining the same in registration and against relative displace ment, presser fingers pivotally mounted upon saidnprights and having rounded heads hearing upon the marginal portion of the uppermost sheet of the assemblage of protective sheets, and tension springs connected to the said fingers and to the respective uprights and yield-ably holding the fingers with their said rounded ends in engagement with the said sheets.

l. In an attachment of the class described, for toilet seats, an assemblage of superposed protective sheets each having a rearward extension, the extensions of the sheets of the as semblage being mutually overlapped, and a flap constituting a part of each extension, the flaps being folded to underlie the respective extensions, and constituting means adapted to be grasped for the removal of the respective sheets.

5. In an attachment of the class described, for toilet seats, an assemblage of superposed protective sheets each having a rearward extension, the extensions of the sheets of the assemblage being mutually overlapped, a flap constituting a part of each extension, the flaps being folded to underlie the respective extensions, and constituting means adapted to be grasped for the removal of the respective sheets, and means attachable to the seat for holding the assemblage of sheets thereon and constituting also means for holding the sheets against relative displacement.

6. In an attachment of the class described, for toilet seats, an assemblage of superposed protective sheets, each sheet having an extension and the extension of each sheet being provided with a flap folded to underlie the same, each sheet having a finger piece folded back at its juncture with the extension and engageable between the extension and flap of the sheet next above it in the assemblage, and means attachable to the seat for holding the assemblage thereon and constituting also means for holding the sheets against relative displacement.

7. In an attachment of the class described, for toilet seats, an assemblage of superposed protective sheets, each sheet having an extension and the extension of each sheet being provided with a flap folded to underlie the same, each sheet having a finger piece folded back at its juncture with the extension and engageable between the extension and flap of the sheet next above it in the assemblage.

8. In an attachment of the class described, for toilet seats, an assemblage of superposed protective sheets, a backing sheet upon which the assemblage is arranged, the sheets com prising the assemblage having overlapping rearward extensions, pockets upon the bacl ing sheet accommodating the rear corners of said extensions, and means upon the backing sheet for holding the assemblage of protective sheets against relative displacement.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

OTTO RICHARD KUEHN 

